Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing

 

1 cup Dannon Oikos plain nonfat greek yogurt
1 packet hidden valley ranch (dressing, not dip)
1/2 cup 1% milk

Whisk together in bowl and chill for 1 hour before serving.  As you can see below this filled my canning jar.  There is a lot of talk about HOW much milk to use, to get the right consistency and I found this dead on for 'regular' ranch or any other creamy dressing.

The best part....this ENTIRE jar of dressing, is only 255 calories, 1.75 grams of fat, 42 carbs and 34 protein. That calculates to 8pts on the new points plus system. For an entire jar of dressing. I would hazard a guess that this would yield about 20-24 servings.

Greek Yogurt Strawberry Muffins

Ingredients

2 1/2 cup	Oats (old fashioned kind, not quick cooking)
1 cup	Plain low fat greek yogurt
2	Eggs
12-15 packets	Stevia
1 1/2 tsp	Baking powder
1/2 tsp	Baking soda
1 1/2 cup	Strawberries, diced, and patted dry + (optional 1/2 cup strawberries, diced to place on top of muffins)
Optional	1 tsp lemon juice
*Note	The paper liners don’t work well when baking with a base that does not include flour (which is the case with this recipe), they always seem to stick to the paper. If you don’t have a silicone muffin tin or liners, I recommend buying the foil cupcake liners at the store, and removing the paper inserts so you are only using the foil part of the liner! That way no sticking will occur!  OR Just spray your muffin pan very well, and the muffins won't have liners.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 12 muffin tins with silicone or foil liners, (or just use a silicone muffin pan).

2. Place all of the ingredients (except the strawberries) in a blender or food processor, and blend until oats are smooth. Pour mixture into a medium sized bowl, and stir in strawberries. Divide remaining 1/2 cup diced strawberries over the top of each muffin. (This step is optional, but it really makes the strawberries burst with color and flavor on top of each muffin!)

3. Divide batter among cupcake liners, and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Raspberry Wine Slush

1 bottle Merlot or Syrah
1 cup pomegranate juice
1 pint raspberries

Add wine, juice and berries to a blender. Blend until smooth and freeze. The alcohol will keep your slush from becoming a brick of wine-ice. For faster results, blend the ingredients in an electric ice cream maker until desired slushiness is achieved. Delicious

Sesame Chicken

Sauce

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup chicken broth

1-2 tablespoon sesame oil (to personal taste)

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 tablespoon chopped garlic

1/2 tablespoon brown sugar

1 dash red chili pepper flakes

2 teaspoons cornstarch (or more is you want a thicker sauce)

Chicken

4 chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon sherry wine

1/2 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder (optional)

2 drops sesame oil

cornstarch, to coat chicken

Vegetable oil or Peanut oil (for frying)

Sesame Seed (to garnish)

Sliced Green Onion (to garnish)

Directions

1. Combine chicken ingredients except cornstarch and let marinate for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.

2. Remove chicken from marinade and toss in cornstarch then cook chicken in hot oil on the stove or deep fryer until cooked thru.

3. Remove from pan and keep warm in oven while making the sauce.

4. Combine all sauce ingredients EXCEPT cornstarch in a sauce pan and bring to a boil over med. heat.

5. Mix cornstarch with a little water (about 1/4 cup) in a cup until dissolved- then slowly add to the sauce mixture on the stove and heat until thickened to the consistency of gravy.

6. Add the chicken into the sauce. Heat thoroughly.

7. Serve over hot rice.

8. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions!

For a healthier option: Skip coating chicken in corn starch, then frying. Simply brown chicken cubes, then add the sauce.

Greek Yogurt Pancakes

Ingredients

• 6 oz of your favorite Greek yogurt
• 1 egg
• scant 1/2 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking soda

Directions

• Open the yogurt container and stir the yogurt until it’s smooth and creamy. Crack an egg over the yogurt and stir to combine leaving. The resulting mixture should be pale yellow in color and have a few lumps here and there.
• In a separate bowl, mix together the flour and baking soda.
• Pour yogurt/egg mixture into the bowl with the flour and baking soda. Stir to combine. The batter will be extremely thick.
• Spoon the batter onto a sprayed griddle or pan heated to medium-high. I usually make four big pancakes, but you could also make 8 smaller ones.
• Flip the pancakes when they start to bubble a bit on the surface. Cook until golden brown on both sides and serve with butter, syrup, fruit, Nutella….anything! Enjoy!

For lower-calorie Greek yogurt pancakes, use nonfat yogurt and an egg white instead of the whole egg. Equally delicious and easy to prepare.

Get Organized with Paul & Peg

Used the Husky Secure Lock Trac. Works great.
A proud moment at The Daniels'

Tequila Lime Flank Steak with Red Potatoes

• 1 cup roughly chopped garlic (approximately 3 bulbs)
• 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (approximately 8 large limes)
• 1/2 cup clear tequila
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 bunch roughly chopped cilantro, leaves and stems
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 serrano pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds flank steak
• 12 corn tortillas, wrapped in foil

Potatoes

• 1½ lbs. red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into even sized large chunks
• 
  
• 2 tablespoons reduced-fat butter or a reduced-fat spread such as Smart Balance Light
• 
  
• ¾ to 1 cup reduced-fat (2%) milk
• 
  
• ¼ cup fresh chives, chopped fine
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Combine the garlic, lime juice, tequila, soy sauce, cilantro, peppers, cumin, and black pepper in a resealable plastic gallon bag. Add the steak and let marinate in refrigerator for 2 hours. Remove from refrigerator, let marinate at room temperature another 30 to 45 minutes.

Prepare grill to medium-high heat. Remove steak from marinade, reserving marinade. Put marinade in small sauce pot and bring to a boil, then strain and reserve. Put tortillas on the corner of the grill and flip package a few times to heat through while steak is cooking

Place steak on the grill, cook for 4 minutes, turn 180 degrees, and cook for 3 minutes more (to create cross grill marks). Flip over and finish cooking for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on desired doneness. Remove from grill to a cutting board, and let rest, lightly covered, for 5 minutes. Slice against grain; serve immediately with reserved marinade, garnishes, tortillas, and hot sauce.

Chicken Piccata

2 8-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 ground black pepper

1 tablespoon butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cuo reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 medium lemon

2 tablespoon capers

1 tablespoon parsley

1. Place each chicken breast portion between two pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, pount chicken lightly until about 1/4 in thick. Remove from plastic wrap. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

2. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook for about 6 to 8 minutes or until browned or no longer pick in center, turning once halfway through cooking. Remove chicken from skillet; set aside.

3. Add garlic to hot skillet; cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until lightly browned. Add chicken broth to skillet, scraping up any brown bits from the buttom of the skillet. Bring to boiling. Add lemon slices and capers. Cover; reduce heat to low. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until lemon slices are softened and releasing their juice. Return chicken to skillet; heat through.

4. To serve, spoon caper mixture over chicken. Sprinkle with parsley.

Per serving: 161 calories, 4 g total fat (2g saturated fat), 73mg cholesterol, 440mg sodium, 4 g carb, 2 g fiber, 27 g protein

Roman Style Chicken

4 skinless chicken breast halves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced

3 ounces prosciutto, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup white wine

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 tablespoons capers

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Directions Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In a heavy, large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, cook the chicken until browned on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Keeping the same pan over medium heat, add the peppers and prosciutto and cook until the peppers have browned and the prosciutto is crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, wine, and herbs. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pan, add the stock, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 30 minutes.

If serving immediately, add the capers and the parsley. Stir to combine and serve. If making ahead of time, transfer the chicken and sauce to a storage container, cool, and refrigerate. The next day, reheat the chicken to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the capers and the parsley and serve.

SERVES 6; Calories: 266; Total Fat 13 grams; Saturated Fat: 2 grams; Protein: 28 grams; Total carbohydrates: 8 grams; Sugar: 4 grams; Fiber 1.5 grams; Cholesterol: 76 milligrams; Sodium: 1,307 milligrams

Caprese Salad with Grape Tomatoes, Mozzarella and Basil

.

4 - 5 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in halves

1 lb fresh imported Italian mozzarella, cut into 1/4 - 1/2" cubes

1/4 cup extra virgin, first preseed Italian olive oil

1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar (optional)

8 - 10 large fresh basil leaves

Italian sea salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste
.Fresh Italian bread

.

Toss together the tomatoes, mozzarella, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.

Tear the basil into large pieces and toss into the salad.

Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Serve immediately (can be refrigerated to serve a little bit later too).

Serve with fresh Italian bread.

Spiced Pork with Squash and Potatoes

This recipe is a labor of love just like typing all of this information onto this blog! It a wonderful sweet and savory dish and don't be afraid to give the spices a boost. I wish I had a little more heat and salty flavor.

I served this dish with a side of spinich, pine nutes and gorganzola cheese, yum!











1 pound butternut squash, halved, seeded, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 fresh poblano peppers, seeded and cut into bite-size strips
2 small onions, cut into thin wedges
1 2 to 2.5 pound pork shoulder roast, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch cubes
2/3 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon snipped fresh parsley

1. In large bowl combine squash and sweet potatoes. Drizzle oil over veggies, tossing to coat. In a small bowl combine brown sugar, salt, cumin, black pepper, cinnamon, and ginger. Add half of the spice mixture to squash mixture and set aside. Transfer to a 5 quart slow cooker. Add poblano peppers and onion to cooker.

2. In small bowl combine the meat and the remaining spice mixture, tossing to coat pieces. Add meat to cooker. Pour broth over meat.

3. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 to 3.5 hours.

4. To serve, transfer squash mixture and meat to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with parsley.

Makes 4 servings

Enjoy :-)

BBQ Ribs - CrockPot Style

Easy Barbecued Ribs

Adapted from America's Test Kitchen Slow Cooker Revolution

1.5 tbsp sweet paprika (3tbsp)

1 tbsp light brown sugar, lightly packed (2 tbsp)

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (1/4 tsp)

S&P to taste (about 1 tsp each is what I used)

2 lbs pork (baby) back ribs (6 lbs) - leave the membrane on the ribs to help hold them together

1 cup barbecue sauce (3 cups)

Vegetable oil spray.

In a small bowl, mix together paprika, brown sugar, cayenne and S&P. Rub this mixture all over both sides of your ribs well. Arrange ribs in the slow cooker by standing them up against the wall of the stoneware pot, thicker side down and meaty side against the pot. Pour barbecue sauce over the ribs, cover and cook for 6-8 hours on low (I did 7 hours and they were perfect).Can'

Spray Paint, the miracle worker

Sorry, Mom, but these vases had to go. I bought satin spray paint at Lowe's, along with a clear spray paint to finish it. I think they turned out nice!

Healthy Tostadas

Posted by: Barb

All portions may vary based on number of people eating dinner

Baked tostadas or tortillas
Laughing cow cheese
Fat free re-fried black beans
Shredded chicken (cooked in slow cooker with chicken broth and spices of your choice)
Toppings: Lettuce, tomatoes, onions, salsa, or anything else you can think of

I know this isn't original, but it's a great idea for a quick easy dinner! I chop and serve all of the toppings on one big cutting board. I obviously need to work on my food photography after seeing Jill's post!

Turkey Meatballs

Turkey Meatballs

Serves 4-6

1.5 lbs ground turkey

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1.5 tsp salt

1 large shallot, minced

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

2 cloves garlic, minced

Combine the milk and breadcrumbs in a small bowl and let stand for five minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the turkey, a teaspoon of salt, red pepper flakes, minced shallot and the soaked breadcrumbs.

Mix well with your hands and form small balls.

Bake the meatballs at 375 for twenty minutes.

http://www.eatliverun.com/let-me-feed-you-a-meatball/

I also added in a little something of my own creation. I wanted to wrap a small mozzarella ball into each meatball. However, I could not find such a thing at my local Publix. So I improvised and used cut up cube sized pieces string cheese instead. Worked great!

Ranch Dressing Pretzels

2 bags broken hard pretzels
1 lg. bottle Orville Redenbacher popcorn oil
1 pkg. Ranch dressing
1 tbsp. dill weed
1 tbsp. garlic salt

Put in oven 1 hour at 200 degrees

Cranberry Vodka Slush

1 (3 oz.) pkg. cherry Jello
1 c. hot water
12 oz. frozen orange juice
12 oz. frozen lemonade
2 c. cranberry juice
2 c. vodka
1 c. cold water

Dissolve Jello in hot water. Add other ingredients. Freeze. Serve with 7-Up or Mountain Dew.

Read more about it at www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,181,148187-241201,00.html
Content Copyright © 2011 Cooks.com - All rights reserved.

Beer and Brat Cheddar Chowder

Posted by: Peg

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
• 1 medium carrot, coarsely shredded (1/2 cup)
• 3 large shallots, chopped
• 1 14-ounce can vegetable broth or 1-3/4 cups vegetable stock
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole milk, half-and-half or light cream
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, crushed (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 10 ounces Wisconsin Aged Cheddar cheese or sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 4 cooked smoked bratwurst, knockwurst or Polish sausage (about 12 ounces total), halved lengthwise and
• 1 12-ounce can beer or 12-ounce bottle ale

Directions

1

In a large saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and shallots; reduce heat to medium low. Cook, stirring frequently, about 10 to 15 minutes or until the onion is very soft and golden.

2

In a large screw-top jar, combine broth and flour. Cover and shake until combined and smooth. Stir into the onion mixture. Add the milk, caraway seeds and black pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Gradually stir in the cheese; reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring frequently, until cheese melts, but do not boil. Stir in the bratwurst and beer. Cook, stirring frequently, until heated through. If you like, serve with rye bread. Makes 4 to 6 main-dish servings (7 cups).

http://www.recipe.com/brats-and-beer-cheddar-chowder/

French Silk Pie

Posted by: Barb

You can make this as a whole pie, or mini pies in cupcake pans. Instead of making homemade whipped cream, you could substitute cool whip.

Ingredients

• 1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)
• 1 jar (7 ounces) marshmallow creme
• 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 2 tablespoons strong brewed coffee
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped
• 
  TOPPING:
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• Chocolate curls, optional

Directions

• Line unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 450° for 8 minutes. Remove foil; bake 5 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, in a heavy saucepan, combine the marshmallow creme, chocolate chips, butter, unsweetened chocolate and coffee; cook and stir over low heat until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Cool. Fold in whipped cream; pour into crust.
• For topping, in a large bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Spread over filling. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. Garnish with chocolate curls if desired. Yield: 6-8 servings.
  
  How-To: For quick chocolate curls: Use a vegetable peeler to "peel" curls from a solid block of chocolate. To keep the strips intact, allow them to fall gently onto a plate or a single layer of waxed paper. If you get only shavings, your chocolate may be too hard, so warm it slightly.

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Chocolate-Silk-Pie

Strawberry Shortcake Cake

Posted by: Barb

Putting mashed strawberries in between the cake layers, and on top, allows the deliciously sweet strawberry juice to seep into the cake. The result is a moist and flavorful cake, with a not too sweet cream cheese icing. It looks complicated enough to impress the crowd, but easy enough that not even I could screw it up :) Be sure to use a cake pan with high sides and to let it cool completely before cutting it.

Ingredients

• Cake
• 1-1/2 cup Flour
• 3 Tablespoons Corn Starch
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 9 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Softened
• 1-1/2 cup Sugar
• 3 whole Large Eggs
• 1/2 cup Sour Cream, Room Temperature
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• _____
• Icing
• 1/2 pound Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
• 2 sticks Unsalted Butter
• 1-1/2 pound Powdered Sugar, Sifted
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 pound Strawberries

Preparation Instructions

IMPORTANT: Be sure to use a cake pan that’s at least 2 inches deep! Before baking, the batter should not fill the pan more than halfway.

Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and corn starch.
Cream 9 tablespoons butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well each time. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix until combined. Add sifted dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just barely combined.

Pour into greased and floured 8-inch cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes, or until no longer jiggly like my bottom. Remove from cake pan as soon as you pull it out of the oven, and place on a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely.

Stem strawberries and slice them in half from bottom to top. Place into a bowl and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons sugar. Stir together and let sit for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, mash the strawberries in two batches. Sprinkle each half with 1 tablespoons sugar and allow to sit for another 30 minutes.

Make icing: combine cream cheese, 2 sticks butter, sifted powdered sugar, vanilla, and dash of salt in a mixing bowl. Mix until very light and fluffy.

Slice cake in half through the middle. Spread strawberries evenly over each half (cut side up), pouring on all the juices. Place cake halves into the freezer for five minutes, just to make icing easier.

Remove from freezer. Use a little less than 1/3 of the icing to spread over the top of the strawberries on the bottom layer. Place the second layer on top. Add half of the remaining icing to the top spreading evenly, then spread the remaining 1/3 cup around the sides.

Leave plain OR garnish with strawberry halves.

IMPORTANT: Cake is best when served slightly cool. The butter content in the icing will cause it to soften at room temperature. For best results, store in the fridge!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/05/strawberry-shortcakecake/